The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-24
QUEEN VICTORIA.

LONDON. May 23.-To-morrow is the Queens
birthday. She was born on the Oath Of May. 1919.
When Queen Victoria succeeded to the throne
Cleveland was in petticoats Bayard was nine
years old. Whitney was not born, Blaine was a
child of seven making mud pies OF eighty-two
members of the Privv Council who assembled to
hear her take the oaths, not one survives When
she assembled the throne Louis Philippe was king
of France; VanBuren had been inaugurated
President of the United States; tho Carlists were
fighting hammer and tongs in Spain; the Cana
dians were in arms to secure self-aovernment
Melbourne and Adelaide were being founded in
Australia; Austria and Russia were stamping
out the last embars of Polish freedom; Professor
Morse was patenting his telegraph; the Bals-
more d Ohio railroad was beginning to lay track;
ocean steamers were preparing, unaer general
declared her Independence; James Smi thson was
endowing the Smithsonian Institution, aud Con-
gress had just directed the Navy Department to
survey the coast of California.
Victoria was the daughter of the fourth son OF
George III. Her father died when she was six
months old He had been in poor circumstances;
40 short of money indie cd that he had TO borrow
from friends enough to take his wife to Eng
land. so that her child should be born on British
soil When the child eleven years old the
death of George ~ made her heir-presumptive.
She would not have succeeded if her Uncle Will
lam had married and had issue; but he was six
ty-four. and was living with lady by whom he
y.
the hel-. and was educated accordingly 1t is Gu
rious to note that while the child stilin short
clothes the old Duchess of SAKE -Coburg and the
King of the Beleians nad already picked out q
husband for her in the shape of her cousin, Al
bert of Saxe-Gotha who was born three months
after her.
William w died shortly after midnight.
The Ministers of state, who had been
expecting the event. the Archbishop
of Canterbury and the officers OF the
Privy Council were promptly summoned; the
Kensineton. where the Duchess Of Kent lived.
They arrived there at 5 4 NJ. Not one OF them
knew the princess intimately. She had been
brought up in such seclusion by her prudent
mother that she had never slept out of her bed
ROOM had never been alone with anyone but the
Duchess or the Baroness Lehzen. and had no in
The visitors knocked loudly at the palace doo-,
and demanded to the princess. They were
told she was asleep. They declared that thay
came on business OF state TO tho Queen, and that
she must be walked, and must receive them. In
few minutes young lady of eighteen made
her appearance. She was in her nightdress.
with shawl thrown over her shoulders; she had
thrown off her nightcap, and her hair was loose,
her bare feet had been thrust in slippers; flush
On her cheek showed that she had been sleeping
soundly, but she was perfectly composed. She
well knew what they had come for. She made
the customary declaration, the Lord Chancellor
administered the oath. and the young lady stood
calm and quiet while the old men filed, one by
one, before her and kissed her hand. When they
retired she went back TO her girl bedroom and
had good cry.
So began the most prosperous and. with
or two exceptions. the longeat reign in English
history. The new Queen was a riddle to every
one. Her mother had entertained. and Victoria
had danced with many gentlemen. But no one
mot even the Duchess of Northumberland, her
official governess-could say that they knew her
disposition It taken for granted that she
was light and frivolous. The Duke of Yelling
ton felt sure that the Tories would not get on
with her; "torn said he, Peel has no manners
and have no small talk 1t is quite likely that
the frivoty which exasperated people in Lord
Melbourne was to some extent assumed. because
seems, however that this conception OF her
character was false. She was at eighteen very
nearly SERIOUS, as self possessed and as reso-
lutte as she Is now at slxtyeight
She was O born politician. During her long
seclusion she bad read carefully and when she
assembled the throne she was Whig She had
no toleration for the Tories. She could not bear
them. She flung herself into Lord Melhournes
arms and let him run the government to please
himself. Presently he ceased to command a
majority in Parliament. and had to resign in
on surrounding the Queen with ladies of Tory
families Victoria refused to change her attend
ants, and, under the circumstances. Sir Robert
refused TO take office The girl of nineteen had
feelings 70 the duties of the station she occu-
pied. Lord Melbourne resumed the post Of Prime
Minister
1t has been said that the Duchess of SAKE
Coburg and the King of the BelRians had pre-
destined Prince Albert for the Queen. year
before the accession. when they were both seven
teen, the young people met .or the first time,
and, having many tastes in common. liked each
other. Subsequent meetings confirmed tie
mutual regard After Victoria became Queen
Albert came to England. The old King of the
Belgians had sounded her and found her willing.
He had communicated his discovery to Albert.
who ardent. But the young lady was clear
headed and practical. I'VE are both too young
TO think of marrying she wrote. ".Albert IS
imperfectly acquainted with English and s only
just ont of college. Let wait three or four
years" And meanwhile she declined to corre-
spond with him. Albert was as calculating as
she. If he wrote, latter waiting three years.
should find that the Queen no longer desired
the marriage 1t would ruin all the prospects or
my future life If am 20 wait l must have
some certain assurance to go upon.' Nearly
thirty wears later. in her life of Prince Albert,
the Queen says THE Queen cannot think
without indignation against herself OF her wish
to keep the Prince waiting three or four years"
Two years after the accession Prince Albert
came to England with the intention of telling
her that if she could not then make up her mind
he could nc longer wait for decision What
this little German petty prince would have done
If the Queen had declined TO mako ND her mind
to bear upon her Majesty. II she had died
chldless the Duke of Cumberland. wretch
stained with every crime and monstrousiy un-
popular, would have succeeded We may be
sure that Lord Melbourne advised her that de-
lay was dang gsrous He said: You will be
much more comfortable; woman can not stand
alone" TN OCTOBER ID Ine queen seat ~ tHes-
senger to Albert that she desired to see him In
her room He thus describes the scene IN a let
ter to his grandmother: .'Tne Queen sent for
me alone to her room aud declared to in
genuine outburst OF love aud affection that had
gained her whole heart and would make her IN
tensely happy If would make her the sacrifice
of sharing my life with her. The JOYOUS oren-
ness of manner in which she told this
quite enchanted me and vas carried away by
it" No doubt.
Next month she summoned her Privy Council
and informed them Of her intention 10 ally her
self in marriage with Prince Albert She read
her declaration. ''and felt" says she that my
hands shook, but did not make enc single mis-
take" When Parliament met in January. lS4O.
she repeated her declaration To them with per,
feet composure, and asked fer grant OF $3.50, 600
a year for tho Prince. Parliament gave him
Tho rsar wa n from